Tag: MVA

Categories
India News Politics

Tussle in MVA Over Sangli Seat

With the Shiv Sena (UBT) staking a claim to the Sangli seat instead of the Kolhapur constituency, the state Congress has voiced strong opposition to the plan, which could further delay the official announcement of the seat-sharing formula, reports Quaid Najmi

Against the backdrop of the Lok Sabha seat-sharing formula being finalised, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MHA) in Maharashtra is facing a fresh crisis of claims over the Sangli Parliamentary seat.

With the Shiv Sena (UBT) staking a claim to the Sangli seat instead of the Kolhapur constituency, the state Congress has voiced strong opposition to the plan, which could further delay the official announcement of the seat-sharing formula among the MVA constituents — the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (SP), and the Shiv Sena (UBT).

During a campaign trail last week, SS (UBT) President and ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had named Chandrahar Patil – a prominent wrestler and two-time ‘Maharashtra Kesri’ awardee – as its Lok Sabha candidate for Sangli.

On Monday, SS (UBT) MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that in lieu of Sangli, the SS (UBT) has given up its claim to the Kolhapur constituency from where Shrimant Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj is likely to be fielded on a Congress ticket.

Taking strong umbrage, senior Congress leader Vishwajeet P. Kadam said that this is not acceptable as Sangli is a party stronghold.

“We shall not compromise on the Sangli constituency. It’s been traditionally ours and we have great prospects of winning it, so we can’t hand it to anybody else,” said Kadam, ex-minister and a two-time sitting MLA from Palus-Kadegaon.

Referring to the proposed candidate of SS (UBT), wrestler Patil, Kadam said he just joined the party a week ago and expressed doubts over his winning prospects.

Kadam also pointed out that there are around 600 villages in Sangli district and the Congress has its leaders and elected representatives in many of them.

“Can the Shiv Sena (UBT) tell us if they have control of even 10 per cent of the local bodies in Sangli? Uddhav Thackeray should not make it a prestige issue and insist on this seat… We will not concede it for anybody; they can take any other seat instead,” urged Kadam.

As the issue threatened to snowball, Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat, while admitting the party’s stronghold in Sangli, diplomatically said that “the senior leaders of both the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) will sit together and hammer out an amicable solution” to the fresh challenge.

BJP’s Sanjaykaka Patil is the incumbent two-time MP from Sangli, which went out of Congress’ control after it held sway there for over 52 years.

Kadam said that he and other leaders from Sangli have already conveyed their strong displeasure over the SS (UBT) eyeing the seat, and made it clear that it should not be given away. As far as the Kolhapur seat is concerned, Shrimant Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj – the 12th direct descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj – is all set to be a Congress candidate from the seat, which had elected a Shiv Sena (undivided) candidate, Sanjay S. Mahadik, in 2019

ALSO READ-BJP’s OBC Strategy Reshapes UP Politics

Categories
India News Politics

MVA May Seal Seat-Sharing Deal Today; Suspense Continues on VBA

Suspense continues on the role of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) headed by Prakash Ambedkar, and the number of seats it may be offered to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls…reports Asian Lite News

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is likely to finalise its seat-sharing pact for the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra, at the last round of talks scheduled for March 6, official sources said here on Tuesday.

However, suspense continues on the role of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) headed by Prakash Ambedkar, and the number of seats it may be offered to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, besides satisfying the demands of other smaller allies.

The VBA stumped the Opposition bloc last week by seeking at least 27 parliamentary seats, plus a unilateral choice of its candidates in certain constituencies, which was reportedly ‘unacceptable’ to several MVA constituents.

Claiming that the VBA is fully geared up for parliamentary polls Ambedkar has threatened several times that he is prepared to go solo in all 48 constituencies if the MVA alliance fails to consider his demands.

On Monday, NCP-SP National General Secretary, Dr. Jitendra Awhad, publicly appealed to Ambedkar to join the seat-sharing efforts and help safeguard democracy and the Indian Constitution in the interest of future generations.

As per current indicators, the MVA may allot the VBA around 10 per cent (four or five) of the Lok Sabha seats, plus three or four seats are likely to go to other smaller allies.

The remaining 40 constituencies shall be divided among the major MVA allies, i.e. Congress-NCP-SP-Shiv Sena-UBT as per their formula, plus they would also accommodate their own allies, if needed, said a NCP-SP leader.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the top leaders slated to seal the deal — barring any last-minute glitches — include Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole, NCP-SP President Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena-UBT President Uddhav Thackeray, VBA President Ambedkar, and the representatives of the six other smaller parties.

Meanwhile, perturbed by the dilly-dallying stance of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar on the seat-sharing alliance, a senior Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader on Monday reached out to him, appealing to “convey a different to the masses”.

NCP (SP) National General Secretary Jitendra Awhad has penned a note to Prakash Ambedkar, saying that the next generation will not forgive them if the Constitution is tampered with, given the “current scenario”.

Awhad pointed out how he always propagated the progressive ideas and ideology of great icons like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Jyotirao Phule, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, among the people of Maharashtra.

“We also have the legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. With full respect to that legacy, I would like to say that your goal and our aims are the same — that is, to save the Constitution and Democracy. We have to ensure that this priceless gift from Dr. Ambedkar is safe, and we are ready to pay the price for it,” said Awhad.

He cautioned that if the Constitution is tampered with and Democracy endangered, then the future generation will “never forgive us”, and urged Prakash Ambedkar to help convey a different message to the masses — though the VBA has not reacted so far.

“Let’s have a meeting of all like-minded parties in the state on priority,” said Awhad, in view of the confusion prevailing over the VBA’s status in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.

MVA leaders pointed out that in the past few days, the changing stance, unilateral statements, demands and claims on seats or candidates, have led to doubts and uncertainties among the Congress-NCP (SP)-Shiv Sena (UBT) and other allies as they struggle to cobble an amicable seat-sharing arrangement.

Athawale Seeks One Seat in UP

Republican Party of India (A) president and Union social justice minister Ramdas Athawale has said that his party has sought one Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh from the BJP.

He said that his party will work to make the BJP and its allies win all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Bengaluru: Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment of India, Athawale Ramdas Bandu addresses a press conference in Bengaluru ,Saturday, Feb 17, 2024.(IANS)

Athawale said once the RPI was strong in UP, but subsequently the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got strengthened and his party weakened. But now the Mayawati-led BSP was not strong anymore, he added.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function on Monday evening, Athawale said the INDIA bloc partners — SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi — will fail in the state as they had earlier.

He said Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav do not respect the Constitution while Prime Minister Narendra Modi bows to it and he has even named the new Parliament building ‘Samvidhaan Sadan’.

ALSO READ-Congress Condemns Ally DMK Leader’s Remarks

Categories
India News Politics

MVA seat-sharing talks flounder

The chief MVA allies, Congress, NCP-SP, Shiv Sena-UBT, VBA and other parties have held over six closed-door meetings to hammer out an amicable solution…reports Asian Lite News

A seat-sharing solution continues to elude the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) nearly a month into negotiations, with at least eight Lok Sabha seats remaining a sticking point among the allies, sources said on Thursday.

The chief MVA allies, the Congress, the NCP-SP, Shiv Sena-UBT, plus the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and other smaller parties have held over six closed-door meetings to hammer out an amicable solution.

Sources in the three parties say that though a broad agreement has been reached on around 40 of the 48 parliamentary constituencies, there is a tussle over eight seats, including four in Mumbai.

Party sources say that the final decision will be taken by the top leaders of the MVA constituents, implying state Congress President Nana Patole, NCP-SP’s supremo Sharad Pawar and SS-UBT’s Uddhav Thackeray.

The MVA allies are confident that they will work out a unanimously-acceptable formula by early March, well before the Lok Sabha election schedules are announced.

SS-UBT’s Sanjay Raut said on Wednesday that the VBA had submitted its letter which would be discussed, while Sharad Pawar said the MVA was keen to ensure the VBA’s participation in the Opposition bloc.

Several of the allies are privately irked by Ambedkar’s unilateral proposal to field Maratha leader and Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj Jarange-Patil as an MVA-backed Lok Sabha candidate from Jalna.

After a series of developments, the Maharashtra government has ordered a SIT probe against Jarange-Patil’s seven-month-long agitation for Maratha quotas and most Opposition parties have also started snubbing him.

Responding to the VBA’s proposal, Jarange-Patil claimed late on Wednesday night that the Maratha quota stir was not a personal political agenda and he had no interest in contesting the Lok Sabha polls.

Pawar invites Maha CM, Deputy CMs for dinner

Apparently throwing a political googly, Sharad Pawar has invited Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and both Deputy CMs, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, to his home in Baramati in Pune for dinner on Saturday.

The trio will visit Sharad Pawar’s stronghold Baramati for the NaMo Rojgar Fair in which thousands of unemployed people shall be given jobs, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Surprisingly, Sharad Pawar has not been invited for the event taking place in his backyard in a prestigious institution founded and headed by him, the Vidya Pratishthan.

However, his daughter and NCP-SP Working President and MP Supriya Sule and two other MPs, Vandana Chavan and Dr. Amol Kolhe plus other major leaders of different parties, figure on the invitation list.

This is the first mega-event of its kind to be graced by the CM and both Deputy CMs after the NCP suffered a vertical split in July 2023.

It is not clear whether Shinde-Fadnavis-Ajit will accept Sharad Pawar’s dinner invitation that has already created an embarrassing scenario for the ruling MahaYuti regime.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Supriya Sule said in a regretful tone that she and her colleague Chavan were invited, but her father Sharad Pawar’s name had been omitted, though he heads the institution where the mega-event is being held.

Another Pawar clan member, MLA Rohit R. Pawar and Sule’s nephew, slammed the government for not adhering to protocols and inviting Sharad Pawar for the official event.

“The government will splash money and make big promises to the youth in the name of jobs which they may not get…” said Rohit R. Pawar.

NCP-SP National General Secretary, Dr. Jitendra Awhad, also frowned at the developments, terming them as “not desirable especially when the function is being organised in the hometown of a nationally-respected leader like Sharad Pawar.”

The party’s National Spokesperson, Clyde Crasto, said this reveals the small mindset of the government and “their insecurity” in the presence of a national stalwart and astute political leader like Sharad Pawar.

Sharad Pawar, who founded the Vidya Pratishthan in 1972 is its current President while the committee members include his grand-nephew Yugendra S. Pawar, Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar and his wife Sunetra A. Pawar, among others.

VBA eyes 27 seats

Meanwhile, he Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) led by Prakash Ambedkar is coveting 27 Lok Sabha seats where it has built up a strong base and wants a ticket for Maratha leader and Shivba Sanghatana chief Manoj Jarange-Patil from Jalna.

The VBA submitted a proposal on the seats it claims are election-ready strongholds to the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (SP)-Shiv Sena (UBT) and other parties at its meeting on Wednesday.

Besides Jarange-Patil, it has sought the candidature of Dr. Abhijit Vaidya from Pune plus three minority nominees and at least 15 OBC contestants across the state, VBA Vice-President Dhairyavardhan H. Pundkar told mediapersons after emerging from the MVA meeting.

ALSO READ-Setback for Sharad Pawar as NCP symbol goes to Ajit faction

Categories
India News Politics

MVA to Seal Seat Sharing Deal in Feb-End

The seat allocation talks are in the final stages without encountering any hurdles and the seats deal shall be sealed next week, AICC said…reports Asian Lite News

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will finalise its seat-sharing deal for the 48 Lok Sabha seats at its final meeting on February 27-28, AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala said here on Thursday.

The seat allocation talks with the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), and other allies are in the final stages without encountering any hurdles and the seats deal shall be sealed next week, he asserted.

On Wednesday, NCP (SP) President Sharad Pawar had announced in Kolhapur that the allocation of 39 constituencies has been finalised and the remaining 9 seats shall be completed by the weekend.

Speaking to media persons along with state Congress President Nana Patole, Mumbai chief Prof. Varsha Gaikwad and other senior leaders, Chennithala reiterated that the MVA is going strong and will strive to win maximum number of seats in the state. “Discussions with all friendly parties are proceeding smoothly. We have accepted all the points for the manifesto suggested by Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi President Prakash Ambedkar,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Patole said that as the elections approach, the Opposition parties and their leaders are being systematically targeted through various central investigation agencies, but no action is initiated against BJP leaders facing serious corruption charges.

He cited the instances of former MVA leaders like Ajit Pawar, Ashok S. Chavan, who faced allegations in various scams but after they joined hands with the BJP, they have been rewarded in different ways.

Patole said that “the BJP is claiming to win 400 seats in the next Lok Sabha polls, but of its current 303 MPs, 165 are from different opposition parties, including 67 from Congress who were accused of corruption by the BJP but are now shielded by the same BJP”.

Compared with 2019, the state political spectrum has become very crowded in 2024, with an array of parties expected to be in the fray, confounding the already confused scenario.

Two major parties have split vertically – the original Shiv Sena and the NCP, besides the parting of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and AIMIM, which were allies in the last Lok Sabha polls.

The housefull scenario includes the MVA’s three main partners, plus their half-dozen other constituents; the ruling MahaYuti of Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Congress Party and their supporters; plus Independents and smaller parties like the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena which may or may not ally with any other group.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha, the BJP won 23 seats, the Shiv Sena (undivided) bagged 18 when they had contested as allies, while the NCP (undivided) won four seats, and the Congress, AIMIM and an Independent bagged one seat each.

This time, both — the divided Shiv Sena and NCP — are going to contest as separate entities, but the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (Sharad Pawar) will also enter the fray with new and untested symbols.

New Symbol Allotted to NCP-Pawar

The Election Commission of India allotted the ‘Man blowing Turha’ symbol to the Nationalist Congress Party–Sharadchandra Pawar.

“Accordingly, the Commission has already allotted the name “Nationalist Congress Party–Sharadchandra Pawar” to the group led by Sharad Pawar (respondent) as per the Commission’s Final Order dated February 6, 2024, in Dispute Case No. 2 of 2023, till further orders by the Supreme Court in the matter. Further, as per the request received, “Man Blowing Turha” is allotted to the group/party in all the parliamentary constituencies in the State of Maharashtra,” the order from the ECI said.

After the announcement, Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar posted on X that the new symbol with the thoughts of the idols of Maharashtra will shake the throne of the central government.

“In the history of Maharashtra, Chhatrapati Shiv Rai’s valor, the Trumpet, which set the ears of the throne of Delhi, is a matter of pride for the ‘Nationalist Congress Party – Sharad Chandra Pawar’ today. With the progressive thoughts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the idol of Maharashtra, Phule, Shahu, Ambedkar, and respected ‘Tutari’ is ready to blow the trumpet once again to shake the throne of Delhi along with Sharad Chandra Pawar saheb!” the NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar said.

Earlier, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered that the interim order by the Election Commission of India (ECI) that allowed veteran leader Sharad Pawar to use ‘Nationalist Congress Party–Sharad Chandra Pawar’ would continue till further orders.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and K V Vishwanathan also allowed Sharad Pawar to approach the ECI for symbol allocation and said that it would be allotted within one week of filing the application.

It further issued notice to the Ajit Pawar faction and ECI on the plea of Sharad Pawar against the order of the poll panel officially recognising the Ajit Pawar faction as the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The bench sought a response from them within two weeks and posted the matter for hearing after three weeks.

On February 6, the poll panel, while applying the test of majority in the legislative wing, ruled that Ajit Pawar’s faction was the real NCP and permitted the faction to use the ‘clock’ symbol for the party.

In its order, the Election Commission had noted that the total number of NCP MLAs in the Maharashtra State Assembly stood at 81 and out of this, Ajit Pawar submitted affidavits of 57 MLAs in his support while Sharad Pawar had only 28 affidavits. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Cong needs to shift gears in UP

Categories
India News

‘MVA Allies Reach Consensus on 39 Maha LS Seats’

NCP chief Sharad Pawar made these remarks in Kolhapur following a meeting with Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, a member of the erstwhile royal family…reports Asian Lite News

NCP founder Sharad Pawar stated on Tuesday that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) members have reached an agreement on 39 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.

Further discussions will be held for the remaining five to six constituencies. Maharashtra sends a total of 48 members to the Lok Sabha.

Pawar made these remarks to reporters in Kolhapur following a meeting with Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, a member of the erstwhile royal family.

Pawar virtually proposed Shahu Maharaj as the MVA nominee for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

When asked about seat-sharing discussions among Opposition parties, Pawar mentioned the consensus on 39 seats, with discussions ongoing for the rest. He also noted that he hadn’t discussed Shahu Maharaj’s candidature with other allies like Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress yet.

Pawar expressed his support for Shahu Maharaj’s candidacy, highlighting his long-standing social work aligned with the values of past social reformers.

Despite Shahu Maharaj’s usual avoidance of political events, Pawar noted his active participation in social initiatives. In the 2019 general elections, BJP and Shiv Sena (then undivided) jointly won 41 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra, while the NCP and Congress together secured only 5 seats.

However, the political landscape has evolved since then, with vertical splits in Shiv Sena and NCP, while BJP continues to consolidate its position by welcoming leaders from rival parties.

‘NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar’ name

The Supreme Court on Monday held that the Election Commission’s order dated February 7 granting the name ‘Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar’ to the faction led by Sharad Pawar will remain valid until further order.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and K.V. Viswanathan directed the Ajit Pawar-led faction to respond to Sharad Pawar’s plea challenging the Election Commission’s February 7 order, which recognised the group led by Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister as the official Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The bench granted Sharad Pawar the liberty to approach the Election Commission for allocation of the party symbol and directed the poll panel to allocate it within one week of receiving the application.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sharad Pawar, said that the Election Commission’s February 7 order was an interim arrangement made for the Rajya Sabha elections until February 27, leaving their group without a name or symbol ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly session scheduled to start from February 26.

The plea arraying Ajit Pawar as respondent was filed by Sharad Pawar on February 12 through advocate Abhishek Jebaraj.

The Ajit Pawar side has already filed a caveat last week, saying that it should be heard before the top court proceeds to pass any order.

A caveat serves as a notice submitted to an appellate court by a litigant who wishes to be heard in case any orders are issued regarding an opponent’s appeal that challenges the decision made by the lower judicial or quasi-judicial body.

Delivering the verdict on the disqualification petitions filed by both rival NCP factions after the party split in June 2023, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar ruled last Thursday that the faction led by Ajit Pawar is the ‘real’ NCP.

The NCP split in July last year, with a faction led by Ajit Pawar rebelling against his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar to join the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra. After that, both sides laid claim to the party name and symbol.

ALSO READ-Indian delegation to visit London to resolve FTA issues